Monday, February 20th marks the beginning of Chamber of Commerce Week 2012. Chambers of Commerce stimulate local economies, direct community promotion, and engage in multi-level advocacy which benefits the entire province.

“BC’s chambers of commerce are an important and respected voice of the province’s business community, representing more than 30,000 businesses of every size and in every sector. They are at the forefront of public policy development, and the public benefits from the advice we get as we work to foster a strong economy that attracts investment and jobs to B.C.”---Honourable Kevin Falcon, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance

The network of Chambers of Commerce across BC is the most influential business organization in the province. As the key representatives of their business community to government, Chambers actively listen to business needs and continually articulate them to government. The Chamber network extends to the BC and Canadian Chambers, which ensures that businesses are connected at Municipal, Provincial and Federal levels of government.

Chambers of Commerce support businesses through benefit programs, services and education. Being community based means that Chambers are funded entirely by their members, events and sponsorship. This community investment is what drives Chambers of Commerce to directly support and stimulate local economies, and work collaboratively to create vibrant communities around the province.

"Being able to access the network created by Chambers of Commerce is incredibly important for our business. It means that our needs are being effectively presented to multiple levels of government, and it enables us to invest back into our community and keep it growing." - - - Dave Cunningham -Vice-President, Government Relations, TELUS